Welcome to The Buzz, your go-to pollinator conservation podcast. Across North Dakota and the Great Plains, agriculture defines both the culture and the economy of the land. But so do pollinators bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, and other insects that quietly fuel food production and ecosystem stability. Today on The Buzz, we're exploring a question often oversimplified in the media: can agriculture and pollinators truly coexist?

This episode is supported in part by the USDA NIFA Crop Protection and Pest Management Extension Implementation Program, Award Number 2024-70006-43752.. Any opinions, findings, or conclusions are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the USDA.
About 20 miles northeast of Bismarck, North Dakota, regenerative rancher Gabe Brown has become known for transforming badly degraded land into a thriving agricultural system without relying heavily on tillage or synthetic inputs. When he began diversifying his crop rotations and planting flowering cover crops like clover, buckwheat, and (fuh-see-lee-uh) phacelia to build soil health, something unexpected happened: pollinators showed up.
Brown didn't set out to create bee habitat. But by reducing disturbance and increasing plant diversity, he unintentionally restored something essential living landscapes. Bumble bees began foraging along his multi-species cover crop mixes. Native solitary bees nested undisturbed in field edges and bare soil patches. Monarch butterflies arrived each summer to nectar on red clover and alfalfa.

This real-world example illustrates a larger truth: agriculture and pollinators aren't enemies. In fact, they are deeply connected. More than one-third of global crop production depends on pollinators, and even crops common in North Dakota like canola, sunflower, and alfalfa show increased seed set and yield when bees are present.

Yet pollinator health in agricultural regions remains a challenge. Large monoculture fields provide only short bursts of bloom and can leave pollinators without food for most of the growing season. Tillage can destroy nests of ground-nesting bees, which make up nearly 70% of North Dakota's native bee species. And pesticides applied during bloom or without integrated pest management (IPM) can expose pollinators to harmful levels of chemicals. According to USDA research and Xerces Society reports, pollinator declines are linked to a combination of stressors rather than a single cause. Habitat loss, poor nutrition, pesticide exposure, climate change, and disease are all contributing factors.

The good news is that there are proven solutions, and many of them are already being used on working farms. Plant diversity is a key example. When farmers grow more than one crop, include flowering cover crops, or rotate species, they not only improve soil structure and reduce pest pressure, but also create a continuous supply of nectar and pollen. Reduced tillage or no-till farming helps to preserve ground nests and overwintering insects. Leaving small patches of undisturbed land, planting field edge wildflower strips, or diversifying plant species in shelterbelts maintaining grassy waterways are simple ways to provide nesting and foraging habitat without sacrificing productive acreage.

Integrated Pest Management is another essential tool. Rather than relying solely on routine pesticide sprays, IPM encourages farmers to first use cultural and biological controls, like crop rotation, resistant varieties, and beneficial insects. When pesticides are necessary, choosing products with lower toxicity to bees and spraying at night or before bloom can significantly reduce harm. Research from the Xerces Society and USDA shows IPM is not only compatible with pollinator conservation it's one of the most effective strategies for achieving it.

Many farmers and ranchers are also receiving support for creating pollinator habitat. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service offers incentives through programs like EQIP and CSP to help producers plant native wildflowers, establish hedgerows, and manage conservation cover. These practices aren't just good for bees they reduce erosion, improve water infiltration, and increase biodiversity on working lands.

Gabe Brown's operation in North Dakota is often used as a case study not because it is perfect, but because it is proof: when agricultural systems begin to mimic natural ecosystems using biodiversity to drive function pollinators thrive again. And when pollinators thrive, agriculture becomes more resilient, productive, and profitable.
If you're a grower, consider small first steps: plant a few acres of pollinator habitat, experiment with a flowering cover crop mix, or adjust spray timing to protect foraging bees. If you're a gardener or community member, plant native flowers, support farmers using conservation practices, and share what you learn.

Be sure to subscribe to The Buzz and follow us on Facebook at NDSU Extension Pollinator Conservation for pollinator tips, habitat ideas, and future episodes. Until next time, keep cultivating change for pollinators and people alike. Thanks for listening.